Storage Rack with Multiple Tiers

ABSTRACT

A storage rack with multiple tiers includes at least two rack portions and at least a connecting member. The two rack portions include an upper rack portion and a lower rack portion. The rack portions respectively include at least three support beams and at least a rack tier fixed thereon. Two female screw threads are respectively formed on a bottom of the support beams of the upper rack portion and on a top of the support beams of the lower rack portion. The at least a connecting member is connecting the upper rack portion and the lower rack portion. The connecting member includes a handheld portion and two screw portions. The screwing portions are respectively disposed on two sides of the handheld portion and each having a male screw thread thereon. The male screw threads are configured for threadly engaging the female screw threads of the support beams.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent applicationNo. 200720120772.4 with filing date of Jun. 18, 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates generally relates to a storage rack, andmore particularly, to a storage rack with multiple tiers that is safe touse and easy to be assembled and disassembled.

2. Description of the Related Art

A storage rack is often used for storing everyday items. In conventionalstorage racks, multiple rack tiers are often included but no secureconnection mechanism is used to connect the different tiers. As aresult, a rack tier on the top may fall apart from the rest of thestorage rack in case that not all the connections stay in the sameplane, which raises a safety issue.

As an attempt to solve this problem, holes have been formed on thestorage rack to accommodate inserted support beams so as to position therack tiers. However, since no tightening measure is carried out, when atop tier is impacted accidentally, it is still easy for the top tiers tofall apart from the rest of the storage rack.

In addition, for conventional storage racks during assembly operations,different rack tiers have to be stacked one upon another and it is notviable to complete the assembly on the ground and erect the completestorage rack in one operation. Hence it is not convenient to assembleand disassemble the conventional storage racks.

Therefore, what is needed is to provide a storage rack that is safe touse and easy to be assembled and disassembled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A storage rack with multiple tiers in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention is provided. The storage rackincludes at least two rack portions and at least a connecting member.The at least two rack portions include an upper rack portion and a lowerrack portion. The upper rack portion is adjacent to and stacked upon thelower rack portion. The rack portions respectively include at leastthree support beams and at least a rack tier fixed thereon. The supportbeams of the upper rack portion are vertically coaxially aligned withthe support beams of the lower rack portion respectively. Two femalescrew threads are respectively formed on a bottom of the support beamsof the upper rack portion and on a top of the support beams of the lowerrack portion. The at least a connecting member is connecting the upperrack portion and the lower rack portion. The connecting member includesa handheld portion and two screw portions. The screwing portions arerespectively disposed on two sides of the handheld portion and eachhaving a male screw thread thereon. The male screw threads areconfigured for threadly engaging the female screw threads of the supportbeams.

In the embodiments of the present invention, different rack tiers areconnected by the connecting members through screw threads. Sinceconnections by screw threads are relatively secure, it is less likelyfor the storage racks according to the embodiments to fall apart uponaccidental impacts. Hence it is relatively safe to use such storageracks. In addition, it is convenient to assemble and disassemble suchstorage racks by operating on the screws.

Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from thefollowing detailed description of embodiments when taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present storage racks with multiple tiers can bebetter understood with reference to the following drawings. Thecomponents in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, theemphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principlesof the present storage racks with multiple tiers.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a storage rack with multiple tiers inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of a first rack portion of thestorage rack with multiple tiers shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, perspective view of a second rack portion of thestorage rack with multiple tiers shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, perspective view of a connecting member of thestorage rack with multiple tiers shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of the storage rack with multipletiers shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is an assembly view of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a storage rack with multiple tiers in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention is provided. Thestorage rack includes a lower rack portion 11, an upper rack portion 12and a connecting member 13 configured for connecting the upper rackportion 12 and the lower rack portion 11.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the lower rack portion 11 includes foursupport beams 111 and three rack tiers 112 fixed thereon. A top end ofeach beam 111 defines a screw hole 1111 therein, which has a femalescrew thread. Understandably, the number of the support beam 111 of thelower rack portion 11 may be three, five, or more five. The number ofthe rack tiers 112 may be one, two or more three. The upper rack portion12 includes four support beams 121 and two rack tiers 122 fixed thereon.Two opposite ends of each beam 121 respectively define a screw hole 1211therein, which has a female screw thread. Understandably, the number ofthe support beam 121 of the upper rack portion 12 may be three, five, ormore five. The number of the rack tiers 122 may be one, two or morethree.

Referring to FIG. 4, the connecting member 13 includes a handheldportion 131 and two screw portions 132, 133 respectively disposed oneach side of the handheld portion 131. Multiple anti-sliding grooves aredefined in the surface of the handheld portion 131 in the axialdirection of the handheld portion 131. The screw portions 132 and 133,which are cylindrical, vertically coaxially aligned to each other andhaving equal vertical length, each has a male screw thread formedthereon. The male screw threads on the screw portion 132 and the screwportion 133 have opposite screwing directions.

Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the support beams 121 of theupper rack portion 12 are configured to be vertically coaxially alignedwith support beams 111 of the lower rack portion 11 respectively. Inother words, if the upper rack portion 12 is stacked on the lower rackportion 11, the vertical axes of the support beams 121 are respectivelyaligned to the vertical axes of the support beams 111. The female screwthreads of the screw holes 1211, 1111 have opposite screwing directionsand are configured for threadly engaging with the male screw threads ofthe connecting member 13. In this embodiment, the female screw thread ofthe screw hole 1211 is a right screw thread and the female screw threadof the screw hole 1111 is a left screw thread.

In a storage rack with multiple tiers in accordance with a secondpreferred embodiment of the present invention, the two screw portions onthe two sides of the handheld portion respectively have screw threads ofthe same screwing directions. In addition, the rack tiers can bedisassembled from the upper and the lower rack portions. In an assemblyoperation, the four support beams can be assembled to the upper rackportion first and then the rack tier is assembled to the support beams.In this embodiment, it is easy to achieve a secure engagement betweenthe connecting member and the support beams so that different rackportions can be fixed to each other securely.

In the above embodiments, different rack tiers are connected by theconnecting members through screw threads. Since connections by screwthreads are relatively secure, it is less likely for the storage racksaccording to the embodiments to fall apart upon accidental impacts.Hence it is relatively safe to use such storage racks. In addition, itis convenient to assemble and disassemble such storage racks byoperating on the screws.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will beunderstood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent thatvarious changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferredor exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

1. A storage rack with multiple tiers comprising: at least two rackportions, comprising an upper rack portion and a lower rack portion, theupper rack portion being adjacent to and stacked upon the lower rackportion, each rack portion comprising at least three support beams and arack tier fixed thereon, the support beams of the upper rack portionbeing vertically coaxially aligned with the support beams of the lowerrack portion respectively, two female screw threads being respectivelyformed in a bottom of the support beam of the upper rack portion and ona top of the support beam of the lower rack portion; and at least aconnecting member for connecting the upper rack portion and the lowerrack portion comprising a handheld portion, two screw portions with malescrew threads disposed on two sides of the handheld portionrespectively, the male screw threads being configured for engaging withthe female screw threads of the support beams.
 2. The storage rack withmultiple tiers according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of anti-slidinggrooves is defined on the surface of the handheld portion and the twoscrew portions of the connecting member are vertically coaxially alignedto each other.
 3. The storage rack with multiple tiers according toclaim 2, wherein the male screw threads of the two screw portions have asame screwing direction.
 4. The storage rack with multiple tiersaccording to claim 2, wherein the male screw threads of the two screwportions have an opposite screwing direction and two screw portions havea same length.
 5. The storage rack with multiple tiers according toclaim 1, wherein the rack portions respectively comprises four supportbeams and four connecting members.
 6. A storage rack with multiple tierscomprising: a lower rack portion having at least three support beams andat least a rack tier fixed thereon, a top end of each support beamdefining a screw hole therein; an upper rack portion being adjacent toand stacked upon the lower rack portion, the upper rack portion havingat least three support beams coaxially aligned with the support beams ofthe lower rack portion and at least one rack tier fixed thereon, twoopposite ends of each support beams defining a screw hole therein; and aplurality of connecting members for connecting the upper rack portionand the lower rack portion, each connecting member having a handheldportion with two screws disposed on two sides of the handheld portionrespectively, wherein the screws of each connecting member are engagedin the screw holes of each support beam of the lower rack portion andeach support beam of the upper rack portion.
 7. The storage rack withmultiple tiers according to claim 6, wherein pluralities of anti-slidinggrooves are defined in the surface of the handheld portion and the twoscrew portions of the connecting member are vertically coaxially alignedto each other.
 8. The storage rack with multiple tiers according toclaim 7, wherein the two screw portions of each connecting member havemale screw threads in a same screwing direction.
 9. The storage rackwith multiple tiers according to claim 7, wherein the two screw portionsof the connecting member have male screw threads in opposite screwingdirections and two screw portions have the same length.
 10. The storagerack with multiple tiers according to claim 6, wherein the lower rackportion and the upper rack portion respectively comprise four supportbeams and four connecting members.